Update Archive/17/2
I stand up and smile at the lords and ladies of Hesperia. Aside from the few city-states whose leaders are fully Lightist, all are represented. There are noblemen who have inherited power, bureaucrats who have worked for it and wizards who have studied for it. If I am to succeed, I will have to appeal to all. I let the tension build up for a moment before speaking. When I do, I use a conversational tone. "Qos telennas un moborsas extentores, benegelennos successas. Those words were spoken by the leader of the first one hundred human magi when they left their homeland of Strom to establish a new home for themselves, weary of the tyranny of the Arathi kings. The phrase is elven and stands for 'those who are plagued by wrongness and pain will succeed the most magnificently'. And truly, our forefathers suffered and went hungry when they left Strom, but they did succeed greatly by founding not only Dalaran, but the other cities of Hesperia, our homeland. Many do not remember it anymore, but Hesperia was once a nation, my countrymen. It was because of the arrogance and lust of power of the early Councilmen of Kirin Tor that we have three dozen city states instead today. I respect the choices of your cities to distance themselves from Dalaran, but..." My explanation is cut, predictably enough, by a count from a major city standing up and shouting: "But what? You want to be King, Javali. It's that simple!" Some of the other leaders and diplomats join in on the complains, and I patiently wait for them to pass before addressing them. "Count Scipio of Andriano, will you remind everyone of the events of the Third Stromgarde war, which your father fought in, or shall I?" He surely was not expecting this, so you go on before he can react. "Fifty years ago Stromgarde reacted to the previous Count Scipio limiting his wine trade to the east by sending an army to pressure him a bit. Even though the people of Hesperia are well-trained in the arts of war, the militiamen of Andriano stood no chance against the enemy army and the count was forced to pay blood money in exchange for having his wineries and, more importantly, his people saved from enemy pillaging. Where were the other people of Hesperia when Stromgarde attacked Andriano? They were sitting in their homes because all of them had been enemies to this city before, as well as each other. Nobody could care to save their fellow countrymen from a foreign monarch because this land is too divided! Thirty years ago the port of Seashire in Hillsbrad was blockaded by Gilneas' armada and all of our cities lost their trade with Kul Tiras for a full year as a consequence, but none of us could do a thing because no single city is powerful enough to stand a chance against Gilneas. Thousands were left in poverty and hunger because this land is too divided! I do not want to be a king. Anyone who says I do is either a liar or a madman. Hesperia has never had a king and will never have one. I do not propose a return to Dalaran leading this land, but I do want this land to survive. Storm clouds are gathering across Lordaeron, if you allow me to use such a worn phrase. Alterac's king wants to kill all who would worship, be it a god or the Light. Lordaeron is actively supporting genocide against its non-Lightist population. Stromgarde gathers its armies for conflict. Either Hesperia does something to bring itself to the level of power these large kingdoms have or Hesperia is turned into a battleground and a prize squabbled over by its neighbors. If we can not have a single nation, we will at least have a military alliance to protect ourselves from foreign conquerors. A senate of leaders will gather here, in Dalaran, to decide what will be done, and all members are bound to accept the common vote. With a united army and a united will, the Alliance of Hesperia will survive through the tough times." I wait just a moment to let it all sink in before speaking again in warning: "I have thought about this idea for a long time, and it is clearly the best choice to allow the country to survive. Therefore, I am bound by my sense of nationalism to make it happen. I think all who agree on the necessity of the Alliance will also agree with me that those who decide to stay out are enemies, rather than by-watchers. Be warned, if you do not join the Alliance willingly, you will not have a say after you are made to join by the might of the sword and the arcane." ---------------------------------------------------------- OOC: Before the meeting, I had the Militia of Dalaran assembled and started a propaganda campaign to enlist young men into becoming professional soldiers. Category:Updates Category:By Kerrah